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Thursday, 28 July 2011

Last night we went to watch and support G in a cycle race. During the hanging around (which there always is on these kind of events), I knitted. He partook of his passion, I partook of mine. I didn't finish anything but that doesn't mean there aren't finished things to show you:

This pattern came from Debbie's incredibly popular spring/summer magazine. We (and I think everyone else) has now sold out of this magazine but I'm pleased to say the Angel patterns from it are being reproduced in a book for this autumn/winter. We will be stocking the book as soon as it's available so you will be able to get hold of this pattern!

Tracey knitted this for me in Brushstrokes DK. It's a simple pattern and easy to wear and incredibly warm - absolutely ideal for cold winter days. Need I say more?!

Although this pattern is designed for children, the biggest size is - as you can see - big enough for a small adult! It was quick to knit (being Superchunky) but the edging seemed to go on and on for ever! It's really warm and the garter stitch waistband is super-flattering!

This is Tracey's tunic and this style doesn't suit me at all so I'm not really sure why I'm wearing it (and I think my face says that as well!) - however Tracey loves it and it looks great on her so don't be put off by me! It's straightforward to knit and is incredibly warm.

Tuesday, 26 July 2011

Continuing on the "things finished but not blogged" theme - I designed and knitted a very simple shawl in Adriafil's Giada yarn:

This you may, or may not, remember is a standard DK yarn but with the addition of little sequins (as you can just see in this pic). It was crying out to be a simple shawl for summer evenings or weddings so I designed one with just a very simply yarn over feature along each edge:

You can, of course, make it bigger and longer but the addition of another ball or two. The pattern is now available on the site - here - and is free with the purchase of 3 balls of Giada (for that is all it takes). At just under £20.00 I think that's a pretty good summer shawl!

In addition I have been knitting socks! I used to think that life was too short to knit socks but I'm now hooked and always have a pair "on the go" for journeys, camping, sitting in the sun etc, etc. They all go for presents and here is one pair I made for FB (modelled by T):

They are knitted in Rico's Superba Bamboo - that's sock yarn with a bit of bamboo for softness - yummy!

I then knitted G a pair for his birthday (he loves hand knitted socks, good lad). These are in Rico Poems (again modelled by T):

Finally, Tracey knitted up a top in Adriafil's Memphis. This is a gorgeous Egyptian cotton yarn and has been flying out as the weather gets warmer. The pattern is by Stylecraft and, as it's done in a yarn we don't actually stock, I can't show it on the site but we do have it in stock so please give us a ring if you'd like it. However, it shows how beautifully the Memphis knits up and the fantastic stitch definition you get with pure cotton:

Monday, 25 July 2011

Suddenly realised towards the end of last week that, although there's been a lot of knitting happening here, there haven't been many photos so today we took a load which will be upcoming over the next few days.

Firstly we had stashbusting. Remember my stash?:

Remember the start of the stashbusting jacket?:

Well - here it is complete:

I absolutely love it and have worn it frequently to much admiration. There is only one problem with it .................. it made hardly a dent into the stash.

Clearly, a major project was/is the only solution and the only really major project I could think of was/is a bedspread for our king size bed. I did much research, I debated crochet vs knitting, I even printed off a number of patterns and swatched. But nothing was quite right until I saw this:a ripple blanket from attic24. Lucy gives the most brilliant tuition so even I - the crochet virgin - could tackle (and, dare I say it, master this pattern).

For yes, people, this is my first ever crochet item apart from edgings on knitting commissions we've undertaken. I thought I'd start small so a bedspread for a king size bed made total sense. So far, we have this:

It may not be the most perfect crochet in the world but I'm inordinately proud of it and, even better, I'm really enjoying it and - critically - it's eating up the stash!

Crochet fans have always told me how great crochet is as you can pull out wrong sections really easily (true), there's only one stitch to worry about (true) and it rattles along at a great rate (true). I'm not saying I'm never going to knit again but, for now, I'm enjoying my crochet - which is good as I've got one heck of a long way to go!

Having started on my project I was then sent this:

This was knitted by a lovely customer of ours out of Cornish Organic Wool. How gorgeous is that?!!! It got me salivating but, for now, I shall remain true to my crochet but - really - how gorgeous is that?!!!!

Tuesday, 19 July 2011

As predicted the weekend in the tent was wet and, more worryingly very windy. Our slightly ancient tent struggled manfully but ended up with a couple of tears which, thankfully, didn't develop into anything major. (Nothing that good 'ol duck tape couldn't handle at least.)

I knitted on a sock on the way up in the car but didn't knit another stitch until we got home. We barbecued (in the rain), drank (some more than others), talked and laughed (a lot). A great weekend despite everything the weather could throw at us.

And, oh yes, FB dislocated a finger at 3.30 on Saturday morning when he crashed back into the tent after a call of nature. Minor panic as to where the nearest A&E department was/is but, thankfully, he relocated it himself. It's now a lovely shade of blue and yellow!

Friday, 15 July 2011

Yes - as you can see from the title - the time has come for our annual camping trip to East Prawle in Devon. The weather forecast is dreadful so plus ca change. I'm trying to catch up on accounts before we go and I have one particularly grumpy son stomping around who can't decide whether to come camping in the rain or stay at home and work - decisions, decisions!! (I'm willing to bet a fair bit he comes with us!)

We've had a huge delivery in from James Brett so all lines are now fully stocked and updated - specifically the incredibly popular Marble Chunky, Monsoon (which looks like Noro but isn't and is way, way cheaper), Marble DK and the full range of baby yarns, Magi Knit, Bliss and Baby Marble. Once we get back from camping there'll be new colours on the site in Rustic Aran, Woodlander, Tints and Twinkle. These deliveries take over a day to sort out but it does mean we have to tidy the shelves and update the site so we're all terrifically organised! All the patterns are also re-stocked so check them out for inspiration!

Our Mummy chicken hatched just one of her eggs so we had an interesting biology lesson with the others. They were all fertilised and in various stages of development and, apparently, it's been a bad year for chickens this year - not sure if it's the weather or what but they just didn't develop. The one we have is very sweet:

I've finished my stashbusting jacket and I LOVE it. Pics next week - along with other garments which we've finished (when I say "we", I mostly mean Tracey) and haven't shown you yet.

I finally got my end of year stuff to the accountant this week so regular blogging and pictures should re-commence - I've been rather lax of late - apologies.

The jacket hardly made an indent into the stash so I've launched into my first ever crochet project - nothing too big - a bedspread. It's challenging but should eat up the stash!

Now I must go and complete this week's paperwork and then pack my wet weather gear (welly boots are compulsory) for a wet weekend in a field. Why, oh why?

Friday, 8 July 2011

Those of you who've been reading this for a while will remember our websites being hit by a hacker almost exactly a year ago. In fact, it was the day we drove to John O'Groats for the grand cycle ride home and I've just been re-reading some of the blog from that and I can't believe it was us and we did it!

The hacker hit our server and Knit Wits was only slightly affected by Cornish Organic was hit big time and died. So when we got back from Scotland we made the decision to design a brand new website with all the Cornish Organic new yarns, patterns etc, etc on it. We used the same website designer - the wonder Thomas - and designed it very much like the Knit Wits site.

Thomas was planning to go away travelling for a bit (which he did) so he asked another designery geek to do the nuts and bolts on a system which a lot of designers use. In short - it has been a freekin' nightmare with Thomas in China, new geeky guy not understanding what we want (and our technical limitations!) and, finally when Thomas returned from the far east new guy throwing all his toys out of the cot just prior to launch and walking off the job.

New wonder guy arrived to help (Malcolm) and we have now, finally, finally after months of angst (and not a few tears) launched the new site!!

Tuesday, 5 July 2011

We had one baby chick born this weekend and Mum is being very coy about showing it to us so you'll have to wait for pics. Have a horrible feeling the other eggs aren't going to hatch - more biology lessons, possibly. Apparently it's been a bad year for chicks - not sure why - weather possibly?

We were glad for glorious weather on Saturday as we dolled ourselves up and went to a wedding (it's OK we'd been invited, we didn't gatecrash). When we make the effort, we brush up OK:

FB was worried he'd look like an idiot in his Panama but, trust me, after a couple of hours in the sun all the men wished they had one!

It was a very, very happy day:

This was the view from the marquee (that's Drift Reservoir):

and, as befits dairy farmers, there was a sirloin of beef for every table (which was melt-in-the-mouth delicious):

Friday, 1 July 2011

Our baby chicks are due this weekend and we're like anxious parents pacing up and down to the hen house to check for developments.

G thinks he heard faint cheeping on Wednesday evening which may well have been the chicks in the eggs (you can hear them for a couple of days before they're born).

Today Mummy hen kicked out a couple of eggs which we opened and had a quick biology lesson (very interesting but not for the squeamish). She obviously knows which ones are live and which ones aren't - by feel? who knows - these are her first babies so instinct is a marvellous thing.

About Me

I own Knit Wits wool shop in Penzance, Cornwall and my husband and I also own Cornish Organic Wool Ltd.
I have two sons (G and T) who are 20 and 18 and are very busy and very sporty (rugby, hockey, athletics, cycling, shooting and fishing).
Sadly, owning a wool shop and wool brand means I'm often far too busy to knit - as can be seen by my blog which usually rambles on about how I haven't managed to knit rather than anything I may have completed.
We also have a menagerie of animals including chickens, cats and a guinea pig.
Life is very busy and very woolly (in a wool-drying-all-round-the-kitchen way rather than a things-I've-finished-knitting-today way).